These are some before and after pics. Far left, both lenses done. Right lens before. Left lens after. Left lens done, right lens before. I buffed my a$$ off until the drill was too hot to hold. They look better, but I think I can do more. What do you think? Part of the problem is the lenses have 3 standing bosses where the ejector pins push the lens out of the mold. (You can see two of them in the bottom of the single lens photograph.) These tear the crap out of the foam buffing wheel. (This kit was worth about $5.00 max. Not $35.00). Anyway, they give you a nice buffing cloth and I rubbed them out as good as I could. Then I applied 2 coats of Wax Shop Super Glaze, buffing until I was too sweaty to continue on each one, then reapplying and buffing again. I guess you could say I'm "kinda, sorta happy" with the result. The true test will be when I drive at night. Not tonight because I've had a couple of Black Jack's after straining myself so much! Mel

 

One thing I wanted to ask you. Are these "Good as new", or will they oxidize at a faster rate than a new lens would. Kind of like removing rust. It seems to come back in the same place like it was almost given an invitation. Mel

 

Looks great if you ask me!

With the wax you applied, they will have a sacrificial layer before oxidizing again, much like waxing the paint. (This is why Plast-x has a synthetic wax in it-- much like a cleaner wax...)

 

Thanks RockPick

 

Nothing wrong with a compliment...

You will probably go to hell for telling a firefighter to burn...

 

Just keeping you grounded....

 

Ryan- don't we go to hell anyways????

 

Hi, Mel. It looks VERY good. In fact, I'm not sure that I'd go after it too much more. While I concur that you might be able to go a bit farther, this may be one of those instances where the returns for your work are probably just about as good as they'll be.

Excellent work, Mel! Very nice.

The only true way to really make it look 'stock' again would be replacement. Remember, some of the oxidation that you're dealing with will go through the entirety of the plastic (ie: the entire thickness). Goofy things like heat and total light exposure will generally zap plastics (especially older plastics). That said, if it were mine, I'd be done with it and happy that you got that far.

Maintaining it is the key from this point. PlastX is a fantastic product that can help out. It is a cleaner and polish (with some polymers - not a synthetic wax, persey). Another option for preservation and maintenance is Plexus or Meguiar's #18.

 

Kind of...

Since we're dealing with a clear plastic, the light is going from absolutely outside of the light to all the way through it. In turn, the wax can help snub some of the UV but, being that it's going from out to in (and all points in between), the oxidation can occur anywhere between points A & Z.

It's been my experience - based on customer commentation - that harsh car care chemicals will yield more problems than UV will (as most of the more modern plastics have lots of UV inhibitors already in the plastic mix).

All of that said, there's NOTHING wrong with waxing (ie: protective layer) the headlights. Heck, if for nothing else, it'll help the water and grime stick less thus improving vision and safety.

 

Rockpick,

Thanks for the compliment! I do think your right. After looking at them this morning, I have to admit they look a ton better. When your doing a job like this it's common to think you can just keep doing a little more, but then it does become a case of diminishing returns. I'll keep hitting them with the wax every now and then. Just one more question, rather than starting a new thread. My wife and I have been using Eagle 1 "Wax As You Dry" for a long time now, and are quite satisfied with the results. But I was wondering if there is a better product that is equally as easy to use? "Wax As You Dry" is about as simple and easy as it gets, but I'm not as familiar with some of the higher end detailing products that are out there, and if there is something better that is as easy, I'd like to know about it. Thanks again, Mel

 

A little thread migration here...

While I've tried several of them, I've never been a fan of any of the 'Wax As You Dry' products but, that's not to say that they're all bad. Personally, I don't find that they really save any time over doing an 'average' wax job on a vehicle and certainly don't yield as good of a pop. For a tiny 'booster' between wax jobs, I guess it may be okay but, I rarely let my vehicles get to the point that the wax is gone. As simplistic as it is to put on an ultra-thin coat of a carnauba or a synthetic and wipe it off with little to no effort... well, I just don't and haven't given the 'Quik Wax' products the time of day.

That said, I can't really comment as to if there's a better product. I know RR was using a Poorboy's product that he seemed to like that was a spray product. Maybe he can shed some light on this for you.

Sorry to sidestep on this one -- I just don't have the knowledge of all the wax as you go types of products out there.

 

Well... Never thought about it like that... Maybe they should polarize the lenses...(That would work, right?)

 

Well, now that you mention it...About every 200th call, we do run into infernos...(the rest are stupid drug or geriatric EMS runs with the occasional "good EMS call"...)

Think on the bright side: if firefighters go to hell, and all these detailers go to hell... We will have some SHINY fire trucks...

 

 

Ryan, are we a go for Sat morning?